Making Light of It

Illuminating tips from the pros, plus our favorite new designs to enlighten the home.

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The most essential rule of good lighting is to layer. A well-used room needs three levels of lighting: ceiling, floor and task lights. Think about what you actually do in a room and about the shape of the work areas you're trying to illuminate, since lighting is as important a factor in comfort as furnishings (something people tend to forget). Halogen bulbs give a clean, warm light and are the most versatile bulbs for home use. Six or seven 20-watt halogen bulbs in an average-size room
creates an effect equal to daylight. —Iris Kadouri, lighting designer, irisdesignstudio.com

I encourage my clients to forgo recessed ceiling lighting—it's tricky to do well, and it's permanent. Instead, think about relying on many movable lamps and be ruthlessly functional with your choices. That can mean using lights where they don't traditionally "belong." For example, I have several small task lights on my kitchen counter (I'm a big fan of small lamps with soft bulbs), and there's an overscale table lamp in the middle of my dining room table rather than a chandelier. I love the comfort of light; the soft glow of task light is so much nicer to live with than a too-bright overhead fixture. —Thomas O'Brien, designer, aerostudios.com

Most people who have recessed lighting think that if the fixtures look dated, there's nothing they can do to fix it without ripping up their ceilings. But you can very easily replace the circular trims (no electrician needed) and your lights will look brand-new. Trims are $10 to $30 each, so for around $100 per room, you can update that yellowing—70s plastic with white, aluminum or black trims and instantly bring your old lights in line with today's aesthetic. —Jeff Zwelling, cofounder, YLighting, ylighting.com

Using pairs of table or floor lamps in symmetrical placement is a nearly foolproof lighting-design trick. Lighting needn't always be purely functional. Include a light that's sculptural, whimsical, something you just love. A decorative lamp is a great way to fill a dead corner or add interest to the end of a hallway. —David Podsiadlo, designer, gusmodern.com

Israeli designer Iris Kadouri uses Thomas Edison's invention as a decorative element, encapsulating a working halogen bulb within a blown-glass showpiece; three are perched atop the aluminum base of her 65-inch La Paz floor lamp ($395; also available as a table lamp, $295, or ceiling fixture, $449; irisdesignstudio.com).

All lights, but particularly overhead lights, should be on a dimmer. It's the only way you can control the wattage to suit your needs, whether its bright, clear light for working or soft, warm light for a party. —Barry Goralnick, designer, goralnickdesign.com

Lighting a home workspace is especially important because light affects mood, energy levels and productivity. In spaces that have limited natural light, use an indirect source to bounce light off a wall or ceiling—this gives a soothing sense of the natural. —Jennifer Luce, architect, lucestudio.com

Tord Boontje's latest flight of fancy is a pendant lamp constructed of overlapping Mylar wings. Called the Icarus, it's safe from heat-related disasters, as the bulb (up to 60 watts can be used) is shielded by a cone-shaped protector (16 1/2"w x 31 1/4"h, $75; artecnicainc.com).

Here's my number one rule: Don't overlight! I hate to see a ceiling become a sea of halogen bulbs blazing away—it's a nasty mistake. To my mind, you can never go wrong with a classic Noguchi hanging lamp (I prefer them hung low) or with a floor lamp from LucePlan called Costanza (luceplan.com). Both give off a pleasing, warm glow and have beautiful shapes that work well in just about any room, no matter what the style. —Hope Dana, architect, plattdana.com

Here's my number one rule: Don't overlight! I hate to see a ceiling become a sea of halogen bulbs blazing away—it's a nasty mistake. To my mind, you can never go wrong with a classic Noguchi hanging lamp (I prefer them hung low) or with a floor lamp from LucePlan called Costanza (luceplan.com). Both give off a pleasing, warm glow and have beautiful shapes that work well in just about any room, no matter what the style. —Hope Dana, architect, plattdana.com

People make the mistake of thinking that a dim chandelier in a dining room is romantic, but without another light source for visual stimulation, it's just dull and boring. You want a combination of lighting effects, an ambient (overhead) source and a low (tabletop) source, so you have both soft and sparkling light. That's the way to make you and your food look good. —Bill Johnson, restaurant designer, johnsonstudio.com

A halogen bulb tucked behind the aluminum curves of Eric Solè's Mesmeri sconce casts a shadow that is nearly as artful as the light itself. Available in white or chrome, the ethereal fixture is 13 1/2 inches wide, 3 inches high and extends 8 1/2 inches from the wall ($190; artemide.us).